Having had such a successful outing on Saturday, I fully intended to get out again on Sunday. As I'd been on my way to try and find the Great White Egret a text alert had come in reporting a Red Crested Pochard at Kilconquhar Loch, near Elie in Fife. Having only ever seen 1 previously, at Forfar Loch a few years ago, I decided to look into the possibility of try to see it, by public transport, on a Sunday. Public transport is generally rather poor on Sunday's and I wasn't even certain that Kilconquhar was on a bus route, though I did know the 95 bus went through Elie. If need be, I could walk from there, and back, and probably visit Ruddon's Point again also.
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| Red Crested Pochard |
As it turned out, there was a possibility of trying for it, with the number 95 actually stopping in Kilconquhar, by the church which sits on the shore of the Loch. The only possible fly in the ointment was the rather short window of just 7 minutes for catching the connection in St Andrews. All it would take to miss it, and have to wait another hour for the next one, would be a late departure or a lot of passengers trying to get on at Leuchars Rail Station both of which are fairly regular happenings on the earlier runs with folk trying to get to work. Still, I decided to risk getting the 0900 bus from Dundee, due to arrive at 0928, with the 95 due to leave at 0935. I would arrive in Kilconquhar at around 1042. I'm not keen on spending much over an hour on buses and the short time between buses would mean that it would feel like I'd be sitting on the bus for over 90 minutes. Still, needs must...
The walk to the bus station was rather productive with 11 species seen on the 15 minute walk, starting with a Blue Tit in a tree across the road and the ubiquitous Herring Gull. A flyover Magpie, a Woodpigeon on a lamp-post and the local House Sparrows were all on the list before I'd even gone as far as the closest bus stop. Feral Pigeon and Goldfinch were seen on Dens Road, followed shortly after by Starling and Blackbird. A Long Tailed Tit foraged in a tree on Dens Brae and a Pied Wagtail flew over as I walked down Princes Street.
I was able to add a few more from the bus to St Andrews with a Yellowhammer showing up really well in the early morning sunshine as it perched on a wire over a field at Pickletillum. Rooks were seen at St Michaels with a male Pheasant in a field just before. Jackdaw and Black Headed Gulls were seen in Leuchars but I failed to see Collared Dove here. I did however manage to see some in St Andrews as the bus, which I managed to catch without any hiccups along the way, headed out of the town. There was a pair of Mallards on the burn just past the harbour. A few Stock Doves and Woodpigeons were seen around the golf course just outside. A Mistle Thrush was added as the bus passed Boarhills.
The first Buzzard of the day was seen near Kingsbarns and a field on the way into Crail had a flock of Fieldfares visible in. I'd also seen a flock of what were probably Linnets perched up on wires near Cambo. Cormorants were seen stood out on rocks at Anstruther. Curlews and a flock of smaller birds were seen as the bus passed the farm just outside St Monans where Corn Buntings are usually easy to see in winter. After what seemed an eternity the bus arrived in Kilconquhar though the driver didn't hear me ring the bell, or see me stood beside his seat waiting to get off, so he drove past the stop meaning a slightly longer walk for me.
Having had confirmation that the Red Crested Pochard had been seen that morning by Willie Irvine, I decided to head first to Barnyard's Marsh to look for Snipe and unsurprisingly found quite a few in the rather soggy site, though probably just slightly fewer than on Wednesday's visit. A small group of Greylag Geese flew over and in addition to the local Jackdaws a few Carrion Crows were seen. Around 1100 I headed out of the village en route for the Fife Bird Club hide set at the water's edge in the trees to the southwest of the village. A Long Tailed Tit and a Blue Tit were seen in the trees at the last house by the road and a Great Tit was in the hedge opposite. I had a quick look at the part of the Loch I could see, adding Mute Swan, Coot and Goldeneye to the list for the day.
A Robin flew ahead of me and a pair of Blue Tits were feeding atop the hedge by the bend in the road. A Chaffinch flew over as I walked down to the wood. I managed to miss the track to the hide but a slight detour ensured I got there in the end. Inside I found Willie Irvine and my birding pal Jacqui who I hadn't seen for a few months. They'd seen the bird but it had swum into a small inlet off to the left. I had a look around getting Teal, Tufted Duck, Pochard and Tufted Duck for the day list. Eventually the
Red Crested Pochard swam into view and onto my list (at least provisionally - it could yet show a ring indicating an escaped 'captive' bird from a wildfowl collection somewhere, meaning it wouldn't 'count').
Jacqui decided she would head for home as she had things to do, so rather than my original plan to walk to Ruddon's Point before another long tedious journey by bus back to St Andrews then another back to Dundee (or maybe Guardbridge first) I asked if I could get a lift back with her to Guardbridge. Thankfully she said "yes". We were able to add another couple of species to my list on the way back, while catching up on recent news etc, with a surprise Stonechat on a fence by the road and a Kestrel hovering over a large garden of a large house. A mixed flock of Fieldfares, Redwings and Chaffinches were in another field near where we saw the Stonechat.
Jacqui dropped me off in Guardbridge at 1200 and I headed into the empty hide. The mud opposite wasn't fully covered though the tide seemed to be at the point where it wasn't coming and it wasn't going. Tree Sparrows were seen on the feeders before I got organised and started to scan out across the river to where the birds were all congregated. There were plenty of Lapwings with Shelduck beyond. A small party of Wigeon were on the water behind them. A flock of sleeping Redshanks harboured a single Dunlin and a couple of Black Tailed Godwits. Along the rear edge of the mud were a few Oystercatchers.
The gull flock was all Black Headed and Herring Gulls, though I tried hard to find a Common Gull or something better amongst them, to no avail. A Grey Heron was spotted over by the pools opposite the hide. I was joined in the hide by a female birder/photographer, and we chatted a little about camera gear and birds while not much happened outside. A Dunnock showed below the feeders and a Grey Wagtail flew across the river. A Great Black Backed Gull circled round a few times a short while later. I found a few Brent Geese out at the point off Coble Shore. Angus Duncan arrived and minutes later, Harry Spence. The increased noise of the chat across the hide between Harry and Angus seemed to hasten the departure of the lady birder and it did make for a challenge when trying to pick out bird calls outside.
It was around an hour before anything else was added to the list when I picked up a distant Sparrowhawk towards the base. A Common Gull flew upriver before a flock of Linnets flew past not long after Harry left. The Wren appeared among the rocks in front of the hide and a Coal Tit showed up at the feeders. We had distant views of a Kestrel and a couple of Buzzards a bit closer. Angus left and I was joined by another couple of hide regular photographers and then a trio of older (novice) birders.
Just before they arrived I'd seen a pair of Great Spotted Woodpeckers chase each other around the trunk of one of the trees outside by the feeders and I did eventually succeed in hearing and then seeing one of them again which everyone at least managed to glimpse. Another Sparrowhawk gave closer views and I tried using the Olympus EE-1 (properly set up) sight to track and photograph the bird with decent enough results. A Carrion Crow made a determined effort to gain access to the inside of a Mussel and a distant Magpie was spotted in a tree by the old fuel tanks south of the base. I left for home around 1620 though I failed to add anything new on the way home.
59 species seen (year tick in bold) in a strange sort of day with the main target bird being seen at the end of what felt like a long bus journey followed by a much quicker journey back to sit and see what I could find at Guardbridge. Enjoyable enough though.
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| Snipe |
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| Snipe |
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| Greylag Geese |
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| Mute Swan |
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| Red Crested Pochard |
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| Pochard & Red Crested Pochard |
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| Black Tailed Godwit, Dunlin & Redshank |
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| Goldeneye |
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| Goldeneye |
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| Great Black Backed Gull |
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| Redshank, Dunlin & Black Tailed Godwit |
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| Buzzard |
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| Mallard |
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| Kestrel |
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| Redshank |
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| Teal |
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| Teal |
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| Teal |
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| Teal |
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| Carrion Crow |
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| Carrion Crow |
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| Curlew |
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| Redshank |
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| Curlew |
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| Redshank |
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| Linnet |
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| Mallard |
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| Sparrowhawk |
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| Sparrowhawk |
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| Cormorant |
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| Grey Heron |
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| Great Spotted Woodpecker |
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| Great Black Backed Gull |
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| Magpie |
Species seen - Blackbird, Black Headed Gull, Black Tailed Godwit, Blue Tit, Brent Goose, Buzzard, Carrion Crow, Chaffinch, Coal Tit, Collared Dove, Common Gull, Coot, Cormorant, Curlew, Dunlin, Dunnock, Fieldfare, Goldeneye, Goldfinch, Great Black Backed Gull, Great Spotted Woodpecker, Great Tit, Grey Heron, Grey Wagtail, Greylag Goose, Herring Gull, House Sparrow, Jackdaw, Kestrel, Lapwing, Linnet, Long Tailed Tit, Magpie, Mallard, Mistle Thrush, Mute Swan, Oystercatcher, Pheasant, Pied Wagtail, Pochard,
Red Crested Pochard, Redshank, Redwing, Robin, Feral Pigeon, Rook, Shelduck, Snipe, Sparrowhawk, Starling, Stock Dove, Stonechat, Teal, Tree Sparrow, Tufted Duck, Wigeon, Woodpigeon, Wren, Yellowhammer.
